"In that dream, Leon was killed in an accident," Aria whispered, "He stopped breathing even before the ambulance arrived at the hospital."She didn't sound like she was joking. Both Fergus and Warren's pupils dilated in shock. They could never dismiss what Aria had just described as just scenes from a dream, not when they involved Leon.Stephen added, "Was that why you were there when he filmed the variety show, Ms. Aria?""It was a coincidence." Aria looked down. "But I'm glad that I went there. This also goes for Elijah. I can't treat what I saw as just something that happened in a dream."Warren could not stay calm in his seat. His hands were shaking as he touched the top of Aria's head. "Don't worry, Aria. You have me.""That's not all of it, though." Aria met Fergus' gaze. "Grandpa had you come back to help maintain the family business. And same as today, you came across Ms. Summers in the airport."The Carver family was having an extremely tough time of it. Grandpa wanted
Aria was relieved to hear that. Fergus was smarter and more responsible than she expected, which was a relief.Fergus noticed the expressions Aria and Warren were wearing. He didn't see Aria often, but he knew Warren well. His grandfather had been a decisive man his whole life, and he'd never looked so careful and tentative as if he hoped that Fergus wouldn't blame him.Fergus swallowed. His heart ached as he was consumed with guilt. Just by listening to Aria's descriptions alone, he could already feel Warren's helplessness and desperation. He couldn't fathom how difficult things would be for Warren. No matter Poeta's motives when she approached him, he shouldn't have let Warren deal with her. Fergus wasn't brought up by Warren, and a lot of people assumed that they weren't close. However, as the family's oldest son, he knew better than anyone how elated Warren had been at his birth. There were records of that day, and Fiona often told him stories.Fergus still remembered how
Was it really not that terrible? Fergus didn't think so, at least not based on what he'd seen online. He said nothing more as he transferred more money over. The money was more than enough for a few first-class seats; Aria could even have the entire carriage for herself.So this was what it felt like to have a brother indulge her. Aria smiled, her heart warm.Stephen thought that Aria and Devon would at least stay the night, but she looked at Devon and said, "I'm not waiting any longer. I'm leaving overnight."Spirits were more unstable during the day, and Aria would have an increased chance of meeting spirits who could provide her with hints if she journeyed at night.Stephen packed everything Aria would need for her, including a thermos, some sliced fruit, and bread.Aria gave everything to Devon. "We can buy the other stuff I promised you after we arrive at our destination."Devon was stunned. "This is already enough. Everyone can feast on this pile of food for days."Aria
Little Percy used to resent himself for not understanding what Owen was saying. Other kids received impeccable grades, but he couldn't even comprehend what the teachers were saying in class. The words Percy heard most often during childhood were, "Why do I have a son as stupid as you? You embarrass me."He knew that Owen was scolding him because of the high pitch of his father's voice; he'd even found fault in himself for everything. Percy didn't know if every child with developmental delays had the same thoughts as him. He'd think about how Owen wouldn't have been so mad at him if he were more typical. With that, he gradually grew up to become a people-pleaser. No one would believe that Percy Carver, the smiling fox who never lost in court, used to be a people-pleaser in his childhood.Percy only became a new person when he turned 11, and it was because he was the first person little Aria had wanted to hug. Leon had been walking circles around Aria all day, but she'd paid
Poeta had long grown tired of the stagnation in her homeland. Things were much better overseas, as everyone was more open-minded.But unlike what Poeta had envisioned, their open-mindedness often came with strings attached. While life in Farshya had felt restrictive, the lack of enforcement abroad meant her boyfriend often abused her. As a foreigner, she had no protection under local laws, which devastated her. Fortunately, she had an escape plan in the form of Fergus.She hadn't wanted to approach him with ulterior motives, but Owen had promised her that she and Fergus could rekindle their past. This was the approval Poeta longed for—a legitimate marriage sanctioned by the head of the family. However, Fergus was too unenthused, much to her disappointment. Still, Poeta reassured herself that with time and patience, Fergus would come around—he had always been steady in his love. Looking back, Poeta realized her mistake. She never would have known about Fergus' shares in the comp
Aria was speechless. Something was out of sorts with her family, wasn't it?Aria couldn't very well discourage Landon, not when Sam had already gotten a massive sum of money out of him. She bent down and asked Sam, "Did you invite this spoiled heir to come with us? He's not even used to taking the train. You're be in charge of taking care of him, alright?"Aria had worded it so nicely. Sam gestured, his eyes round, "If he passes out because of the smell, I'll carry him. Leave him to me!"Aria raised a brow. Before she could say anything, Landon appeared before them, his melodic voice cutting through the moment. "What? Is the money not enough?"That was why Sam was willing to work for him; it was hard to not like someone so generous and willing to pay. Still, Sam remained wary of Landon, who was nice to him nevertheless. Sam's eyes lit up. He made to ask for more money, but Aria covered his mouth and looked at Landon. "Are you okay with taking the train?""You're here to take
After suppressing his presence, Landon pulled out a jewel necklace and clasped it around Sam's neck.Aria was confused as to what he was doing. Landon smiled. "Homer gave me this. It was kept on Mount Dracotigris until now. It can suppress Chaos' murderous intent."Aria knew that wasn't true. The jewels didn't look like anything from the Dracotigris Order, especially with the emerald carved into a skull—completely unlike their style. This necklace clearly came from the Netherrealm. Nyx and the twins sat up straight. They all rolled their eyes, but none dared to speak the truth. They feared disintegration if Landon so much as raised his hand. Aria looked at the skull for several seconds, raising her brow. "How exquisite."It didn't sound like a compliment.Sam liked the necklace, though. He bit on the emerald and ascertained that it was real.Seeing that, Aria said nothing. However, the necklace was clearly beneficial. Spirits were already beginning to move toward them desp
"He isn't enlightened yet?" Colin exclaimed incredulously before lowering his voice, afraid that someone else would hear. "You mustn't let that happen, young lady. He'll be punished if the Phantom Patrol catch him!"Some spirits, newly severed from their mortal coils, struggled to grasp the finality of their demise. They roamed the veil between worlds in the first seven days after their passing, desperate to reclaim their mortal forms. Those who realized they could not reclaim their own bodies would launch themselves at the living, desperate to merge with the living and seize a second chance at life. Yet they must be wary to avoid the ever-watchful Phantom Patrol.Each life—its beginning and inevitable end—was meticulously chronicled in the grim tomes of the Netherrealm's officials. When mortals breathed their last, the authorities claimed their essence, guiding them to the depths of the Netherrealm, where they would await their enlightenment.An unenlightened spirit was doomed to
Landon cast a glance at Aria, curious about how much she actually knew about the stock market. She had always been modest about her knowledge, but he suspected there was more to her than she let on. The only one oblivious to Aria's true capabilities was Jett. Yet, he dared not refuse any request she made. Without hesitation, he tapped into his social circles, pulling strings where needed.Less than an hour later, Orion received word. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face. "So, the Grisham family wants to dip their hands into real estate too?"Arlo handed him a report. "Just as you predicted. It's not just real estate—Ms. Carver's making moves in the stock market as well. Fortunately, you already set a trap for Mr. Jett in advance."For the first time in days, Orion’s tension seemed to ease. A dark glint flickered in his eyes. "Fine. Let them struggle their way in. I don't care how they do it, but make sure the Carver family is crushed in the stock market.""Understood." A
Jett asked, "What exactly are you after? There's no need to bring down the Draycott family so quickly. It's not like you can win. Didn't you join the Chamber of Commerce to take things slow? You just arrived in Ludwiten. Why the rush?""Am I in a rush?" Aria asked. She wasn't after the mastermind behind the Draycott family. If she were, she would've tied Orion to the financial building and let people take pictures all day—no need for mind games.The situation was too tangled, too many people involved. The Draycott family had managed to cover up something as blatant as that incident at the bar. Someone had to be cleaning up after them.Finding a few scapegoats would have been easy, but Aria wanted more. She wanted to uncover everyone who had spread rumors about Fiona in the past.And for some reason, despite their focus on the Grisham family, it felt like they were up against the Carvers. Whoever was behind this didn't want the Carvers to regain control of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jett grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his hands as if he wanted to tear Owen apart. Aria promptly stopped him. Otherwise, passersby might think he was an escaped patient from Ludwiten's mental asylum.Owen had done many foolish things, which Aria only discovered after arriving in Ludwiten and conducting her own investigation. Warren carried guilt toward Clyde because of Owen. And while Jett was normally timid, his words weren't wrong.When Owen first came to Ludwiten, he thought he could make it big, recklessly using the Grisham family's funds and resources. But he had been deceived by several people and lost everything.Not only was he foolish, but he was also malicious—leaving behind a disaster for the Grisham family to clean up. "Jett, calm down," Aria said. "I know Owen dragged the Grisham family down. He's already been punished and won't be coming out anytime soon."You and I both despise him, but let's stop dwelling on the past. He's not worth it."Jett had never
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t